Method of making d-handles



*AK A. READY METHOD OF MAKING D-HANDLES Nov. 27, 1934-.

Original Filed Nov. 26, l930 Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'METHOD OF MAKING -D-HANDLES William A. Ready, Brookline, Mess., assig or to Ames Baldwin Wyoming Co., Parkersbu-g, W. va., a corporation of Delaware 4 Claims. (CI. 76-113) My invention aims to provide improvements in the method of making shovel, and the like, handles particularly of the so-called D-type.

This application is a division of my co-pend- 5 ing application Serial No. 498352, filed November 26, 1930.

In the drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of my invention:-

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through one preferred form of my improved D-handle structure; v

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the handle structure shown in Figure 1 before bending and before attachment of the grip;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 1, but showing a slightly different Construction of the attaching means of the stale; and

Fig. 4 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 3, but showing a different filler means within the arms of the metal casing.

Referring to the drawing I have shown a D- handle structure for shovels and the like which is substantially the same, as far as the casing and grip are concerned, as the structure illustrated and more fully described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,869,777, issued August 2, 1932.

The method of forming the handle structure is substantially the same as shown and more fully described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,812,373, issued June 30, 1931, but difiers as to the means used in connection with the attachment of the metal casing part to the stale of the shovel or the like. Therefore, I shall confine my description to the improved structure and refer only generally to the old elements and the old method of forming and attaching.

The D-handle shown in the drawing has a sheet metal casing part 1 formed of two similar pieces Secured together at their lower ends in the manner described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,869,777. Above the portion where the pieces of the casing are joined they diverge and form hollow arms 2 and 3 between the upper or spaced ends of which is secured the grip 4 by means of the rivet 5.

The metal casing is attached to the stale 6 of a shovel or like implement by a combination of filler means and stale. In the particular structures illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the casing is attached by means of prongs 7 and 8 which are formed by splitting the upper end of the stale for a portion of its length substantially less than the length of the hollow arms 2 and 3 of the casing. Heretofore, the prongs have been of such length that they extended to points near the grip `so that, when the casing was bent from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Figure 1, the hollow arms would be supported from within and could not buckle or Collapse. Itis, of course,'well known to those skilled in the art that the stales used must be of an excellent quality of specific kinds of wood, especially if a strong, durable handle structure and stale are to be had. The wood most generally used in good grades of shovels is, therefore, expensive, because it is not to be found abundantly. Therefore, the cost of shovels may be'materially reduced by using a shorter stale than has been the practice heretofore both in the type of structure illustrated in my Letters Patent referred to above and in other structures known to me wherein portions of the stale extend substantial distances into the hollow arms of a metal casing. In the drawing I have shown some of the ways in which the cost may be reduced without afiecting the attachment and/or the method of forming the handle structure. To accomplish the desired results I have substituted filler means in each of the arms for substantial portions of the split stale. The filler means may be in the form of cheap pieces of wood (Figs. 1 and 3) as Compared to the stale or it may be in the form of a composition of material such as sawdust and a binder, concrete, or the like, as shown in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the prongs 7 and 8 as extending only a relatively short distance into the arms 2 and 3 of the casing and wood filler pieces 9 extending from the ends of the prongs '7 and 8 toward the ends of the arms. When the arms of the casing, filler pieces and prongs, as shown in Fig. 2, are bent to the form shown in Figure 1, the arms 2 and 3 are supported against crushing by the filler pieces 9 and the prongs 7 and 8 are bent into diverging relation. Thus, the connection is made between the stale and the casing by bending portions of the stale and thereby preventing accidental disassembly of the casing from the stale. If desirable, a rivet 10 may be added as shown in Figure 1.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the same type of attachment as shown in Figure 1 with the exception of the fact that the rivet 10 is omitted and the prongs '7 and 8 are made longer and the filler pieces correspondingly shorter.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the same type of attachment as shown in Fig. 3, but in this case I have substituted a composition 11 for the wood filler pieces 9.

In a preferred method of assembly the filler means is first placed in the arms of the casing before it is bent and then the splt end of the stale is forced into the casing, as shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter the arms of the casng, filler means and prongs are bent, as shown in'Figure 1, and the grip is put in position. e

It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention is not dependent upon the use of any specific filler means or upon the length of the prongs or the point of termination of the filler means toward the free ends of the arms 2 and 3. The important points are to have the prongs '7 and 8 long nough to' diverge tances toward the free ends of the arms 2 and 3 of the casing to support any portions which bend above the ends of the prongs.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. `In the production of D-handles, that method which comprises forming a metal part having two hollow arms, joined together at one end, inserting filler means into each arm to fill the space therein for at least a portion of the length of each arm and thereafter inserting the end of a stale into said metal part at the end where thearms are joined together, whereby said lier means and said stale substantially entirely fill thehollow to strengthen and prevent collapsing thereof and alsoinserting the end of a stale into said metal part at the end where the arms are joined together.

3. In the production of D-handles, that method which comprises forming a metal part'having two hollow arms joined together at one end, inserting moldable fiiler means into the hollow arms at their joined together ends, inserting a staie entered into the metal part at the end Where the arms are joined together and then bending the filled hollow arms into a substantiaily Y-shaped formation.

iow arms by means of a split stale entered into the metal part at the end where the arms are joined together and thereafter bending the arms of the metal part, filler means and portions of the splt stale into a substaniialiy Y-shaped formation. V

WILLIAM A. READY. 

